August 2008

I was cleaning off my desk and came across your article "The Unfettered
Hoof," which I had previously read but had not looked at for some
time. You may not recall, but we have talked about my decision to go
barefoot some time back, and I have appreciated your thoughts and
advice. I was
particularly struck this time by your discussion on the fact that a shod horse
who loses a shoe goes immediately lame. Here is an example of the
difference between a shod and barefoot horse in this respect:

I am one of the joint masters of our local formal hunt, and have been hunting
and whipping in to our hunt for about ten years. About four years
ago I made the decision to pull the shoes off all my hunt and polo
horses. This has been quite successful.

I use boots when I am whipping in at some of our most rocky fixtures,
because when whipping in I don't have the luxury of letting my horse slow down
and pick his way across the rocky areas. Often we have to go full out over
country we can not see because of the grassy cover. Nevertheless,
most of the time it would not be necessary to use them.

As you may know, 2007 is the Centennial of the Masters of Foxhounds
Association, the MFHA. As part of that celebration, the MFHA
organized a series of 'performance trials' across the country, whereby several
hunts would bring their best hounds to a particular hunt fixture, mix the
hounds together, hunt them under a single huntsman, and they would be judged
and graded by mounted judges. The hunting is usually very fast and
hard, and the whips are called on to ride fast and hard to help manage the
hounds.

At the trial held at our hunt, in late march, I was whipping in as usual along
with a young lady, a protégé who I taught to ride and hunt. She and
I were the only two who were barefoot (but in boots). To my
knowledge everyone of the local and visiting hunters were barefoot.

About half way through the first day, I noticed I had lost one of my
boots. Later I learned that Madeleine had likewise lost one of hers.
Since both our mounts were still going sound and there was a strong need for us
to continue, we did.

Throughout the day several of the shod horses also lost shoes. Every
one of them had to immediately retire. Madeleine and I finished the
hunt with no problems.

It seems to me this is a complete vindication of the benefit of going barefoot.

MB

Hi M,

Thanks
so much for relating this experience and insight. Best wishes to you all
for continued success with the horses.